Children in Exodus: Migrant Narratives as a Methodological Tool to Reconstruct School Trajectories

This research article sought to identify relationships between the social trajectories of migrant children and their school inclusion processes, considering social origin as a key turning point. A qualitative approach was adopted through a case study, implementing the NAM (migrant narratives) strate...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Linares Alvarado, Martha Liliana, Forero Londoño, Oscar Fernando
Format: Online
Language:Spanish
Published: Instituto para la Investigación Educativa y el Desarrollo Pedagógico, IDEP 2025
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Online Access:https://revistas.idep.edu.co/index.php/educacion-y-ciudad/article/view/3328
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Summary:This research article sought to identify relationships between the social trajectories of migrant children and their school inclusion processes, considering social origin as a key turning point. A qualitative approach was adopted through a case study, implementing the NAM (migrant narratives) strategy, the authors’ own methodological proposal. Through techniques such as mapping applied to focus groups with children aged 6 to 12 and in-depth interviews with their parents or guardians, we explored the experiences lived by Venezuelan migrant children before their exodus. The findings were organized into three axes: (i) the influence of social origin on the family environment, highlighting children's grief over the rupture of emotional and territorial ties; (ii) the construction of a collective migrant memory, where children redefine emotions, knowledge, and belonging through a shared narrative; (iii) the possibility of reconfiguring life trajectories in school contexts that, when inclusive, become healing spaces. As a conclusion, this study shows that the school inclusion of migrant children requires an active recognition of their original heritage and memories, in order to transfor the school into an intercultural space. The NAM strategy provided visibility to children's voices visible as social actors and contributed to a deeper understanding of their trajectories. This methodological approach aids in rethinking education from a social justice perspective that dignifies the migrant experience and strengthens the sense of belonging to school communities.